Unit 262, Nevada

Elevation ranges from approximately 3,280 ft in lower desert valleys to 11,918 ft at Charleston Peak. The Spring Mountains form a dramatic escarpment rising from the Mojave Desert floor, with sheer vertical cliff faces on the Red Rock escarpment transitioning to high alpine ridgelines. The Bird Spring Range, south of NV-160, is lower and more rolling (highest point approximately 5,673 ft per NDOW). The La Madre Ridge and Brownstone Basin areas feature rugged, rocky terrain ideal for bighorn sheep.

Approximately 86% of the unit is public land managed by the USDA Forest Service (Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest / Spring Mountains NRA) and the BLM Las Vegas District (including Red Rock Canyon NCA and portions of the La Madre Mountains Wilderness). Primary paved access routes: NV-157 (Kyle Canyon Road) enters from US-95 to the north-central Spring Mountains; NV-156 (Lee Canyon Road) leads to ski area and upper mountain trailheads; NV-158 (Deer Creek Highway) connects the two canyons; NV-159 accesses the western escarpment and La Madre area; NV-160 (Blue Diamond Road / Pahrump Highway) bisects the unit east-west, dividing the Spring Mountains from the Bird Spring Range to the south. The Cold Creek area in the northern unit is accessed via BLM dirt roads off NV-157. South of NV-160, the Bird Spring Range is accessed via BLM two-track roads from Pahrump Valley or Jean area. Two wilderness areas are non-motorized: Mt. Charleston Wilderness (57,442 acres) and La Madre Mountains Wilderness (47,180 acres). Motorized equipment, mechanized transport (including wheeled game carts), and chainsaws are prohibited in wilderness areas. Contact BLM Las Vegas District (702-647-5000) for information on areas north of NV-160 and current hunting restrictions near Red Rock Canyon. Note: Several roads and trailheads in Kyle and Lee Canyons sustained damage from Tropical Storm Hillary (August 2023) and some closures may remain — verify current conditions before visiting. Full services available in Las Vegas and Pahrump; limited services in Sandy Valley.

Lower elevations (3,000–4,500 ft) support Mojave Desert scrub including creosote bush, blackbrush, white bursage, and Mojave yucca. From roughly 4,500 to 7,000 ft, pinyon pine and Utah juniper woodland dominate. Above 7,000 ft, ponderosa pine and white fir forests transition to subalpine conditions with ancient bristlecone pine concentrated on upper ridges and slopes of Mt. Charleston. Riparian corridors exist in Kyle Canyon, Lee Canyon, and Deer Creek drainages. Aspen stands are present at mid-to-upper elevations. Total Spring Mountains NRA covers 317,000 acres.

Mule deer occupy the Spring Mountains at low-to-moderate densities; most of the unit 261-268 group population concentrates in unit 262. Deer are distributed across pinyon-juniper and conifer zones with seasonal movements tied to elevation and forage. Rocky Mountain elk occur in small numbers in the Spring Mountains, concentrated near Cold Creek in the northern Spring Mountains; NDOW notes difficult hunter access and low elk numbers (unit listed as depredation-status). Desert bighorn sheep inhabit the rugged rocky terrain of the eastern and southern Spring Mountains and the Bird Spring Range. In areas frequented by bighorn, elevations range from 3,280 ft to 8,510 ft (Potosi Mountain). North of NV-160, primary areas are La Madre Ridge and Brownstone Basin. South of NV-160, focus areas include Little Devil Peak, Devil Peak, Shenandoah Peak, and the Green Monster Mine vicinity. Long-term respiratory disease (Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae) has impacted bighorn numbers and lamb recruitment. Mountain lions are present throughout the range. Gambel's quail and chukar partridge are present in lower-elevation desert scrub and rocky terrain. Wild horses and burros (Spring Mountains Wild Horse and Burro Complex) are actively managed by BLM throughout the unit.

1. Mule deer quota (30) and harvest data (56% success, 15 harvested) are for the entire unit GROUP 261-268, not unit 262 alone — NDOW does not report unit 262 separately for mule deer. 2. Elk: 3 resident any-legal-weapon tags (Sept 17–Sept 30); unit also listed under depredation Hunt 4102 (poor hunter success expected). 3. Bighorn sheep archery season removed — unit 262 does not appear in CR 25-13 archery bighorn table (Hunt 3161). Resident any-legal-weapon only (2 tags, Nov 20–Jan 1). 4. Bird Spring Range highest elevation corrected to 5,673 ft per NDOW Hunt Information Sheet. 5. Road/trailhead closures from Tropical Storm Hillary (August 2023) in Kyle and Lee Canyons may persist — verify with USFS before hunting. 6. Wild horse and burro competition with game species is an ongoing management issue per BLM.